The last few months have been stressful, crazy, and educational...to say the least.Back in October of last year something clicked in me and I got very serious about the idea of owning a home. The idea had been tossed around my brain for the last year and I was finally in a place financially to make it happen. The first thing I did was talk to my parents about it (I needed someone else to verify that I wasn't crazy) and they gave me their thoughts, tips, and most importantly....their blessing. With this confidence, I called up a realtor and within a few days I had my pre-approval letter and a handful of listings to go see.My very first day hunting was all a bit of a blur. My realtor had planned for us to see 10 houses all while filling my brain with tidbits about the ins & outs of real estate, mortgages, and what to not look for in a home.The first thing I learned (and it genuinely came as a shocker) is that looking for something to buy is completely different from looking for something to rent. We walked through several houses where, while I was oohing and awing over original hardwood floors(!!!) my agent was pointing out sloping rooms, bad finish work, and water damage.When I began the hunt, I had a vision of myself living in the most adorable 100-year old home in the heart of Sugarhouse (my favorite area of Salt Lake City). I compiled my first list of houses with this vision in mind, but soon realized that the 100-year old homes that matched my budget weren't exactly great investments, with sooo much expensive work that needed to be done. After walking away disappointed from over 20 houses, I was starting to feel like maybe I had made a mistake and that my dream home (in my price range) wasn't actually out there.Late one night I got an email from my agent about a house she thought I might be interested in. The house was cute, built in 1910, and was only a few blocks from one of my favorite parks. I immediately emailed her back and requested to see it the very next day...Stay tuned for part 2!